Surgery Scheduled

The strong antibiotics that were prescribed to Mary Jo last week have improved Mary Jo's painful symptoms but the swelling from the infection and hardening scare tissues have worsened.  Mary Jo was seen again by her plastic surgeon on Friday.  Dr Luong who examined Mary Jo and explained to us that her current condition would not improve without surgery.  The swelling caused by the infection has place more pressure on the radiated skin than it can handle and the weakest point is at the incisions lines from the previous reconstruction surgery.  Mary Jo is scheduled to have a pre op physical on Monday and be admitted for surgery on Tuesday.  Dr Luong will be preforming a procedure called a latissimus flap breast reconstruction.  This procedure involves taking non radiated healthy muscle tissue from Mary Jo's left side, upper back, removal of the current implant and the temporary use of a implanted tissue expander.  Within a year, Mary Jo will have an additional surgery to replace the tissue expander with a permanent silicone implant.  Dr Luong expects a two and a half hour surgery on Tuesday followed by two to three days in the hospital for recovery.  Mary Jo is in good spirits and happy that this set back is not a life threatening issue but obviously disappointed by the need to undergo multiple additional surgery's.